Presbyterian Presbyteries meet again this Tuesday, 4 March, to try to nominate a Moderator Designate to succeed Dr Russell Birney when his year of office ends in June.
Last month, for the first time in ten years, the annual election for the 'principal public representative' of the Presbyterian Church ended in a tie between two Belfast men, Rev Ivan McKay from Dundonald and the minister of the Fitzroy congregation Rev Ken Newell. Both polled seven votes from the 21 presbyteries with the remaining votes being spread among a number of others.
Under the rules of the General Assembly a second election now takes place with only the two tied candidates being voted on when the presbyteries meet this Tuesday at separate locations around Ireland.
Presbyteries are the governing bodies responsible for groups of approximately 25 congregations in different geographical locations around Ireland. Each one has a membership composed of all the ministers and a representative elder from every congregation in its area. The members of Presbytery will vote among themselves to decide who their presbytery will nominate as the Moderator Designate as he is officially known. Each presbytery has just one vote. The presbyteries meet independently of one another at locations all around Ireland and their nominations are communicated to Church House in Belfast. A result is expected to be declared by 9.30pm on Tuesday evening.
Voting is expected to be close with no clear consensus emerging since the first round last month. With an odd number of presbyteries a result is assured and even if some presbyteries decided not to make a nomination and a tie resulted, the rules of the General Assembly declare that the candidate with longer years of service would be elected.
Ballymoney born Rev Ivan McKay (57) ministers in the suburban parish of Dundonald on the outskirts of Belfast. Mr McKay was ordained in Bethany Presbyterian Church, now Immanuel, before being called as minister to Brookside Presbyterian Church in Ahoghill in 1972. He remained there for 24 years before moving to the Dundonald congregation in 1996. He describes himself as a 'traditional minister preaching God's word and applying it to life today while pastoring people as they live out their faith in the context of their own circumstances.'
Rev Ken Newell (59) is minister of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, off Belfast's Ormeau Road. Born and brought up on Belfast's Shore Road, Mr Newell was ordained as assistant minister in Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church, Bangor in 1968 and three years later was called to the Overseas Mission of the Presbyterian Church. Until 1976, he lectured in New Testament Studies in West Timor. Indonesia. On his return to Belfast he became minister of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church where he has practiced a ministry which he describes as 'attempting to bridge the gap between the church and those for whom the church is an alien place.'
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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